Ridgetop - our place and how we muddle along

[farmerjan]

Safe Travels, good luck.

 

[Ridgetop]

Probably will be just like the Donner party! Better pack extra food just in case.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Drive careful and good luck!

 

[Ridgetop]

Got my check from the stockyard! Great prices! - ewes 2 @ $187.50 each - rams 4 @ 195.00 each!!! Less $6.00 yardage and commission of $121.50 = 8 Total check $1,033.50!!!



I will be sending my ram lambs in around that weight (70 lbs.) from now on. Not too many sheep at the sale apparently - only a few goats when we got there at 11:00 am.
So glad I didn't hold those ram lambs for slaughter since I got almost the same price as I would get for a 100+ market ready lamb! DH thought I should keep them back for butchering at 100 lbs. but I didn't want to feed them since I was not sure we would have forage and I have a lot of ewe lambs to raise up for another several months till I can sort them.







Same mail brought tax bill for Yelm - $2,762 for 980 sf house on 3.5 acres. No income for past year - Thank you Covid!
Please let it sell soon!!! New forecast is snow and rain for Yelm. At least we will be able to find the piles of trash to remove without having to shovel snow off the top of them.

What else is in store?

 

[thistlebloom]

Wow, those are high property taxes!

 

[Ridgetop]

Yes, another reason to get the property sold. All taxes in Washington state are high. They even have a 10% tax on all labor! Combine that with their horrible liberal governor and

 

[farmerjan]

I will not complain about things here even though I cannot get any kind of livestock/ad break on the house on 2 acres. Taxes AND ins (100,00 on house) are a total of 1475 year. Will change as taxes change but will not change until the house is reassesed. If I remember the ins is about 550-600 so the taxes are about 800. What I am saving from the rent will pay the taxes and ins plus a little. Definitely a win-win.... Our liberal gov is a jerk, but other taxes aren't so bad.... especially if you eat mostly at home as the restaurant taxes are getting higher. Total about 10% I think.

 

[Ridgetop]

We were going to leave for Yelm around 4:00 am BUT spoke to someone in Olympia (20 miles outside Yelm) who said they were digging out from 15" of snow from a bad storm and were expecting another snow storm today. DH was at Costco so when he got home we discussed it and decided to leave tomorrow. Hoping that we will hit Yelm after snow and when rain has come to town. We have several steep mountain passes to go through on way north. Better safe than sorry.

Decided there was no point in trying to get to Yelm and not being able to find the piles of junk left by the tenant under 18" of snow! Trailer is packed. DS1 got 6 Volt batteries which are hard to find. He thinks the stores may be getting away from them in battery lanterns since he could only find battery lanterns that took D batteries. The new battery lanterns are LED which are brighter on smaller battery power. Anyway, we have several lanterns and flashlights now ready to go. If worst comes to worst, we will be able to heat water on the woodstove for hot tea or something. I think we might be able to light the kitchen stove top with matches since it runs on propane. I hope there is still propane in the tank. The tenant was supposed to keep it filled but since he moved out without cleaning up anything or paying rent for 8 months I just hope he did not run the tank empty. The only thing that runs off the propane tank is the stove though. If necessary, there is a good store next to the laundromat with lots of camping goods, farm stuff, etc. so we can pick up a camping stove if necessary. Can't use the wood cookstove since it has been disconnected from the chimney, and I am afraid it will melt the kitchen vinyl flooring. No need to cause more expense.

I spoke to 2 different agents yesterday who couldn't talk too much with me since the place is still listed with Remax. However they both looked up the listing and said we should have no problem selling it for our price. Apparently property is very hot up there right now. The Remax agent that currently has the listing had said it would be difficult to move it without being able to put on 17 houses - said they would have to "disclose that problem". I think they were hoping we would worry and lower the pricel Actually I am going to relist at $425,000. We can then accept a lower offer of $400,000. The two brokers from other agencies also said that us keeping the new refrigerator was normal where the previous listing broker said it would be harder to sell without it. AND when I told them that the previous agent and broker were the selling/buying agents/brokers and buying the property themselves, both agents were shocked. When I told them that the broker said it was illegal to renegotiate the commission they said outright that was a lie. We knew it was, but we are going to write a complaint to the WA State Realtor's Board about them. They did a very shaky thing. Anyway, I am not worried about the property selling quickly once we change brokers.

Now, I have to change the installation date for the security system since we are possibly looking at 3 days to get to Yelm depending on the weather. The appointment is set for Wednesday so better change it to Thursday to be safe. I am finishing the packing - the new lanterns, flashlights, batteries, food, etc. need to be loaded and the cooler loaded too. I made extra ice for the cooler but once we get to Oregon I can just scoop snow into it. If the fridge is not plugged in, no worry about the food not staying cold enough. LOL

DD1 and grandsons stayed over for several days to make sure they know how to feed, and put drops in Bubba's bad eye. DGD1 spent Friday night here too "because she missed us". Woke up to a cuddly armful in my bed with her face grinning into mine! Today is DSIL's BD so yesterday I helped DGS2 make a cake for his birthday. DGD1 helped make the frosting. DGS1 designed the decoration with some type of game insignia they all like to play. I filled in the insignia then showed 7 year old DGD1 how to decorate the cake using my decorator tubes and pastry bags. She was excited that she did all the rosettes around the bottom herself. Lemon cake looks good with lemon frosting and orange decorations. Then I got out my card box and the kids each chose a birthday card for their dad in which they wrote sweet messages. They are doing a surprise party for him tonight. He doesn't know abut the cake they made.

DD1 spent the day with DD2. They had a long talk and today DD1 told us that DD2 has nothing prepared for the baby in spite of her due date being mid March. She probably doesn't have much money to buy anything either since Doofus hasn't been working.

BTW, Doofus took his truck over to his friend, the mechanic, who put some device on it and told Doofus that he just needed a new radiator cap. Doofus did not replace it when he replaced the radiator. So he is picked up his ladders and is going back to work tonight. He apparently had been working a second job part time stocking shelves at Smart N Final for a couple weeks. He told DH that DD2 filled out the application for him then he went to the interview. What a loser! - he needs her to fill out the application for him to apply for a job to feed his family? Apparently they have reconciled now that he is back to work.

Next DD1 told us that DD2 expected Daddy to pay for the truck inspection ($150) to find out what was wrong. She was shocked when he didn't do it. DH and I knew that was why she called DH and said they didn't have the money for the inspection after dropping off the truck at the shop! She said she was also surprised not to get any Christmas gifts after we gave her $1200 for the custody attorney fees for Doofus' daughter. She said she didn't realize that the money was for Christmas, her birthday, and wedding gift even though I kept saying it over and over.
I love the girl but maybe she deserves Doofus. No, no one deserves that!

Anyway, I told DD1 that she and I would have to go shopping for DD2 when I return. I have a crib and bassinet for her, as well as several boxes of cotton baby gowns, blankets, crib sheets, and a Snugli, that I will go through and wash. She has no carseat, but wants a $1500 stroller that she and Doofus picked out at a fancy baby store! These two have no sense! Anyway, DD1 and I decided we will get her a car seat and stroller that we will choose, NOT the $1500 import, and will get the stuff she needs together. I.e. diapers, etc. DD1 has a lot of baby clothes from DGD1 packed away and is getting them out for DD2 to go through. Almost everything I got for DD1 I bought with my grandmother at yard sales. Most of the good stuff I got for my grandchildren I got at the Thrift Store on Senior Tuesday and on Craigslist. No need to waste money on an overpriced stroller when you might not be able to pay your rent because Doofus is so carefree about working! At any rate when I come back DD1 and I will arrange to do some baby stuff gathering and shopping. DD2 has few friends for a shower, and a lot of our relatives are dead now, or live out of town. Besides, I am not sure about the protocol of holding the baby shower with extended relatives now that the wedding has been cancelled. Doofus' side of the family isn't doing anything. Also I just found out that DD2 left all the porta crib bedding and mattress in Big Bear when they brought their other stuff down. I had given it to her to use for Doofus' daughter up their and I want it back for DDIL2. DD2 doesn't seem too worried about it since "she is not due for an other month or so". Sadly DD2 is all about DD2. I hope Doofus' dad and step mother will bring the items down from Big Bear when they come down after DD2's baby arrives. I am not a happy camper just now between DD2 and the Yelm property.

Anyway, packing up my computer now for the trip to Yelm.

 

[farmerjan]

It is past time for you to move to Texas and for her to have to grow up, and she will either sink or swim. You can't spend the rest of your life being her bail out. JUST my opinion... take it with a grain, or a desert full, of salt....

Read on one of my cattle forums that there are 2 major highways closed in Oregon due to massive snow and wind and extreme cold temps. And more snow coming there today or tomorrow?

Be safe and smart about traveling there. And yes, the real estate agents are not only being unprofessional, they are actually doing things illegally.... you need to get out of it ASAP .... and you might have grounds to terminate the contract since they are not acting in your best interest as the retaining/selling agent. But I think that you said the contract was 6 months and up in March.... just want to see you get out of it and get it sold in a proper manner....
Sorry to say, but I would doubt that there is propane in the tank; the "squatters" would not have left anything for you....

 

[Bruce]

but we are going to write a complaint to the WA State Realtor's Board about them.

Oh yeah. And I agree with Jan, given their failure to follow the rules of real estate sales I suspect you could tell them to pound sand and get one of the other realtors ASAP.